Where Do You Stand on the Coffee-or-Tea Debate?

Ansley Dauenhauer
3 days ago
2 min read

A Quote, a Question, and a Quirk

Ansley Dauenhauer theloftyquill.com August 3, 2026

A Borrowed Voice

The powers of a man’s mind are directly proportional tothe amount of coffee he drinks.

Sir James Mackintosh

A Curious Inquiry

Do you prefer coffee or tea? Why?

To prime your pump:

When did you start drinking your preferred beverage? Have you ever tried to give it up?

Are you particular? Do you like a certain kind?

Do you drink it with milk or sugar? Or some other way?

A Small Moment

For most of my life, I was a dedicated tea drinker. I think the habit started when I studied in China in 1988. The government didn’t turn the heat on in our university until the middle of November, despite the fact it got awfully chilly in October. In the cafeteria, tea was always available, and it was served in dainty cups without a handle that fit perfectly in my cupped hands. A side benefit was if I kept my hands wrapped there until just before the tea lost its heat, they stayed relatively warm. Then I could just refill my cup, pretty much endlessly. I drank A LOT of tea that semester.

I never made the transition to coffee, and I was perfectly happy. Everybody I knew was trying to give up coffee anyway, or at least trying to give up the cream and sugar they used to dress up their brew.

But then the pandemic hit, and I couldn’t sleep. One of the ways we tried to support the community during that time was to go through the drive thru at local coffee shops pretty regularly. The kids loved it if I rode along with them, because then I would pay. One day as we were waiting in line, I was moaning about my lack of shut-eye yet again and how tired I was. Maddie said, “Mom, you really should try coffee. It’ll wake you right up.” I was pretty desperate to feel awake— I had a work project I had to finish that day— so I ordered one. I drank it without a whimper, and I think I’ve had coffee everyday since.

I still enjoy tea— particularly after 2:00 pm—but I guess my tastes have expanded. Now I really look forward to my cup of joe every morning. I don’t know if “the powers of my mind” have expanded any, but . . . I can always hope!